A historic church in downtown Halifax was the venue for an event Sunday, rooted in a dark chapter in global history.
As has become tradition, Cornwallis Street Baptist Church hosted the police community in a shared goal of eliminating racial discrimination. Organizers say the service is a step toward starting an important conversation.
"It is not enough to attend cultural competency or sensitivity training if you walk out with the same attitude and not caring how you treat people of colour," Pastor Rhonda Britton told the crowd.
The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination was declared in the wake of police brutality during a peaceful demonstration against apartheid in South Africa. The global event strives to educate and bridge divides.
In Halifax, the Cornwallis Street Baptist Church opened its doors to first responders, for worship and some tough talk about discrimination.
"We want people to be brave, to have courageous conversations about racial discrimination," says Pastor Rhonda Britton.
It is a complicated relationship, full of history. Marginalized communities haven't always felt they could lean on first responders in their time of need.
In recent years, the event has come in the wake of deadly shootings and unsolved murders of predominately black victims, as well as police admissions that black people were more likely to be pulled over for street checks.
Inspector Dean Simmonds says he has also felt discrimination from within the police services.
Simmonds describes putting on his armour every day to battle stereotypes and control his own reaction to not only what he experiences on the streets but at the station. Still, Simmonds is hopeful that times are changing.
"I want to be part of the conversation to not let these kind of things happen. I don't want to be silent, I want to listen and I want to be there and support," says Inspector Simmonds.
Simmonds credits family and mentors for keeping him on the right path. He is the first from his North Preston community to rise to such ranks within the Halifax police, and says he will continue to lead by example.
"To be a good leader, a great role model and obviously to stand up for what I believe is right," explains Simmonds.
The annual service is about overcoming the discrimination of marginalized peoples and this year's focus centered on women. From missing and murdered aboriginal women and girls, to making the work place safer for women to pursue a career and earn a living without fear of harassment.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Marie Adsett.
